Room-by-Room Inspection Tour - Exterior: Cost of Ownership, Repairs, Roof, Driveway, Garage, Homes,  Indianapolis, IN

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Take a Look Around Before You Enter the Home

You will have already been given information about the neighborhood or subdivision itself, but you will want to first take notice of the home's location in the subdivision.

• Is it a corner lot? (I'm not a big fan of corner lots; you loose privacy and are then exposed to traffic and street noise on two sides.)
   
• What's in back of you, or on either side of the house?

  If the land behind the house is empty, "BEWARE"! You need to know what the future holds for that land before you buy?
   

• What kind of landscaping does it have? Does the lot have good topography or is the house built on the side of a hill?

Before we go inside, take a quick walk around the neighborhood. How are the other people in the neighborhood treating their homes? 

Keep a Roof Over Your Head Without Extra Overhead

We'll start outside, on the sidewalk. Before we even approach the house, take a look at the roof. How does it look? What kind of shape is it in?

• Are shingles curled or missing, or any visible dents and repairs needed?
   
• What's the chimney cap and flashing look like?
  
  If there are any signs of damage in this area, make sure to check carefully when we look at the fireplace inside.
   
• What condition are the gutters, fascia, soffit, siding and brick in? 
   

Even the Driveway Can Tell You if You Should Drive Away

As we pull into the driveway, the owners are already telling us about how they've taken care of their house.

• What shape is the driveway in? Is it cracked, uneven or oil stained?
   
• What condition is the garage door in?
  • Does it need to be repainted?
     
  • Did the sellers put a fresh coat of paint on an old worn out door? It might need a brand new door. A new garage door is expensive so take a second and look.
     
• What about the trim around the garage? The bottom panel of the garage door and the trim that comes closest to the concrete are often some of the first things to suffer wood rot.
   
• Are there large trees on the lot that need maintenance, or that are rubbing on the roof or siding of the house?
   
• Are there any dead trees that will need to be removed?

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